Tanna Clews
The NH Legislature and governor have the chance to assistance significant investments in Granite State women’s overall health and workforce participation this year — that is, if they pass a price range like the MOMnibus Act and the Kid Care for Operating Households Act.
Every single two years, New Hampshire writes a new price range for the state. The price range represents our collective priorities and values. What, as Granite Staters, do we care about? What should really we fund? Who should really we prioritize? The NH Women’s Foundation prioritizes investments in ladies and girls.
This year, the Women’s Foundation, along with parents, childcare providers, healthcare providers and firms, are advocating for a New Hampshire price range that values caregivers and ladies with little ones by: providing ladies enrolled in Medicaid access to overall health care for a year postpartum and access to doulas, lactation consultants and donor milk banks expanding access to the youngster care scholarship system and offering workforce supports to youngster care workers.
Girls make the economy function, but we need to invest in women’s overall health and in the youngster care infrastructure so ladies can retain supporting their households and regional economies.
When faced with childcare troubles, mothers with young kids arrange reductions in their function hours that are 4 to 5 instances higher than the reductions arranged by fathers. With no access to trusted youngster care, ladies leave the workforce.
If youngster care can be located, it is frequently unaffordable. In our newest study publication, The Status of Girls in New Hampshire 2023, we located that the annual median expense for an infant in a Granite State childcare center is $13,250, a expense that would consume 11 % of the median revenue of a married couple, and a staggering 55 % of a single mother’s median revenue. Childcare providers can’t raise wages for their workers with no passing that expense on to households. The Kid Care for Operating Households Act invests in our youngster care infrastructure to address these troubles.
At the moment, ladies who are enrolled in Medicaid below pregnancy eligibility drop coverage right after two months postpartum. Girls require access to preventive, acute, mental overall health and substance use remedy extended right after two months postpartum. The MOMnibus Act would extend coverage to 12 months postpartum, lowering maternal mortality and escalating prices of remedy for items like maternal depression. The bill would also deliver access to doula solutions, lactation solutions and donor milk banks.
The fantastic news is that the Senate passed the MOMnibus Act and Kid Care for Operating Households Act separate from the price range earlier this year. The Women’s Foundation is grateful to the Senate for their assistance. We’re at the finish line now. If the Senate involves these investments in the price range, the Property agrees and the governor indicators the price range, New Hampshire will have a price range that. prioritizes moms, ladies and households far more than any price range in current memory.
It requires engaged stakeholders (like vocal moms, dads and childcare workers) and a genuine bipartisan work to make these investments feasible. We’re grateful to the legislators who’ve had mom’s backs all session.
Let your regional elected representatives and senator know how you really feel about a price range that invests in ladies and their little ones. Now let’s get a mom-friendly price range passed!
Tanna Clews of Portsmouth is CEO of the NH Women’s Foundation.